NHL_Rumour_MillSource out of VAN says 2nd original 6 team is in the hunt for Lou. Only one that makes sense is DET.

I'd accept Helm, Brendan Smith and Howard for RL & KCon.

Chicago, Detroit and Toronto are the only three that make sense. If it is Chicago or Detroit then you think Crawford or Howard would be coming back. Question is do we want either of them given that they are both starters and would not that be more of a distraction that keeping Luongo and Cory? Unless they were to trade with a team on the loosing end??

Gillis has to trade Lu before the season starts, doesn't he? It only makes sense - no reason to have this hanging over the team. Imassume it will happen in the next couple of days though I have no idea where he is going.

Diehard1 wrote:Gillis has to trade Lu before the season starts, doesn't he? It only makes sense - no reason to have this hanging over the team. Imassume it will happen in the next couple of days though I have no idea where he is going.

This won't hang over the team. I get the sense that they are prepared for either possibility.....he is traded or he stays until they are done this year. But I'm willing to bet that the team, and both goalies are ready for whatever happens and that they will be fine if he stays, maybe even better off.

It probably is. I believe Bourdon would have been a top 4 d-man, but Kopitar is a legit top 10 centre in the league and he's built like a tank.

It's kind of me just arguing with a certain someone who thinks that Mike Gillis is the league's worst GM . Apparently anyone who doesn't criticize EVERYTHING Gillis does is a fanboy. As I said I have carved Gillis for some shoddy drafting and poor signings. Apparently Vancouver is supposed to draft 7 NHL players every season, never get the short end of any trade, have a full stocked cupboard of prospects, rip off 7 or 8 cups in a ten year period and never make a poor signing. I'd say some people don't remember the old days but this character should. I remember being a teenager in the mid 80's and the Coliseum was half full at best.

NHL_Rumour_MillSource out of VAN says 2nd original 6 team is in the hunt for Lou. Only one that makes sense is DET.

I'd accept Helm, Brendan Smith and Howard for RL & KCon.

Chicago, Detroit and Toronto are the only three that make sense. If it is Chicago or Detroit then you think Crawford or Howard would be coming back. Question is do we want either of them given that they are both starters and would not that be more of a distraction that keeping Luongo and Cory? Unless they were to trade with a team on the loosing end??

Hasn't Howard been good in Detroit's crease? And when taking an inventory of the top 30 goaltenders, Crawford has to be #31.

6. There were a couple of teams who thought the Vancouver Canucks would have to waive Luongo before the season if they couldn't make a trade. But with a $70.2-million cap this season and $64.3 million the next, they have more room to breathe than some potential trade partners expected.

Gillis sounding so confident yesterday in regards to what he's looking for in a trade comes with good reason, Canucks have a lot of leverage, and two buy-outs next summer even allows the Canucks to trim weight elsewhere and still keep Luongo if it ever came down to that improbable eventuality.

With both Vandermeer and Barker being signed, I wonder if Gillis is prepping a package including one of the top4. The return on a deal for Luongo and Edler would be MASSIVE...like moving from a Couturier ballpark to Giroux.

Not saying its likely, but it gives Gillis the flexibility to make a bigger trade happen.

coco_canuck wrote:Gillis sounding so confident yesterday in regards to what he's looking for in a trade comes with good reason, Canucks have a lot of leverage, and two buy-outs next summer even allows the Canucks to trim weight elsewhere and still keep Luongo if it ever came down to that improbable eventuality.

Not to mention the 58 other buyouts in the league that may increase the possible trading partners for the Canucks in the offseason.

Right now rumours are that the Leafs and Panthers are leading the way. Possibly the Flyers, Blackhawks and Capitals kicking tires.

Come the offseason, depending on how things go, we could see the Leafs, Panthers, Flyers, Blackhawks, Capitals, Lightning, Devils, and even the Islanders (though the likelihood of Luo waiving to go there is slim and none IMO). Maybe more suitors.

There are going to be more goaltender needs in the offseason, without question. I'm leaning more and more towards keeping both tenders for the short season and then seeing where the buyouts put the market for Luongo.